Bag and header therefor including bag supporting means



Feb. 17, 1959 H. R.IDENTONI 2,373,905

BAG AND HEADER THEREFOR INCLUDING BAG SUPPORTINGMEANS Filed Oct. 5, 1955 nvmvron HARVEY R DENTON United States Patent BAG AND HEADER THEREFOR INCLUDING BAG SUPPORTING MEANS HarveyR. Denton, Oakland, Calif. Application October 3,1955, Serial No. 537,966

Claims. (Cl. 229-55) This invention relates to bags made of flexible, thin sheet material, and to a header for each of such bags to provide means for mechanically handling such bags during filling and sealing of the bags.

Bags of thin flexible material, and particularly bags made from regenerated cellulose or rubber hydrochloride have presented a difl'icult problem when it came to filling the bags. The months would not stay open and would fold inwardly and where attempts have been made to secure reinforcing strips thereto, there has been no'way gr mechanically holding, supporting or suspending the ags.

Other attempts to reinforce the mouth of each bag have been directed to applying such reinforcement at the time the bag is sealed, thus precluding the provision of means for holding or supporting each bag during the filling step.

With the present invention, the mouth of each bag is not only reinforced and stiffened when it is fully open, but provision is made for suspending the bag by providing extensions on the reinforcing means adapted to be supported on a bag holder forholding the bag during filling, and means is also provided in combination with the reinforcing means for holding the mouth of each bag open.

Other objects and advantages .will appearin the -de scription and in the drawings.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a bag with a header thereon and means supporting the bag from the header with the header and mouth of the bag open for filling the latter. v

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary elevational yiewof the mouth end of the bag with ..the header thereon and with the latter partiallybroken away and insection.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the header separate from the bag.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a slightlymodifiedform .of header from that of Fig. 1, with said headeron abaginbag supporting position.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary elevational view of one end of the header of Fig. 4.

Fig.6 is a still further form of header shown with the header in position for securement to the month end of a bag.

In detail, a flat bag of light, flexible sheet material is indicated at 1 in Figs. 1, 2. The upper end of said bag, as seen in Figs. 1, 2, is fully open, and the header that is applied to said open end comprises a strip 2 of cardboard (Fig. 3) that is folded on itself along a medial line 3 extending longitudinally of said strip.

This medial line 3 constitutes the fold line and thus divides the strip into halves 4, 5, that are in opposed relation when said strip is so folded on itself.

The strip 2 is slit at 6 and the length of this slit equals the length of the mouth of bag 1. This length of the I mouth of the bag is the same as the greatest width of the bag when it is flat.

The halves 4, 5 are glued to the opposite outer sides 2,873,905 Patented Feb. 17, :1959

of the bag 1 ,at its mouth with the mouth coterminous with and along the slit 6. The end portions 7 of the header, that are outwardly of the ends of the slit 6 will project a substantial distance from the bag and these end portions constitute strong and relatively rigid means for mechanically supporting the bag.

By the provision of a pair of spaced parallel angle bars 10 a means is provided for suspending bag 1 from the projecting end portions 7 of the header. The flanges 11 of the bars 10 may be vertical and spaced apart a lesser distance than the length of the header with the other flanges 12 of said bars coplanar and horizontal. Thus upon applying compressive force against the ends of the header, the halves 4, 5 will bow oppositely, outwardly as seen in Fig. 1 to open the mouth of the-bag, and vthe flanges 11 will prevent the header from closing, while flanges 12 will support the header and bag during filling of the latter.

In certain instances it has been found desirable to provide a slightly different header, as seen in Figs. 4, 5 in which a strip 13 is provided.

This strip 13' is the same as strip 2 in most respects, being folded on itself and secured to the mouth end of bag 14 in the same manner, and also having the same slit 15.

However, instead of the projecting end portions 16 being square, as in Fig. 1, said end portions each have a downwardly directed notch 17 formed in'their undersides adjacent to bag 14. These notches are adapted to receive supporting bars 18.

The header is also preferably notched at its end portions and the notches are positioned in downwardly directed shoulders midway between the vertical width of the header.

By this structure the headers will be held in bowed condition by bars 18 and the headers cannot slip off the bars since the notches hold them on said bars, yet the bags can be readily removed from said bars.

Any suitable legs or frame (not shown) can hold the bars 10, 18 parallel, and in the desired spaced relation.

In Fig. 6, a still further type of header is shown in which the header comprises separate cardboard strips 20 in opposed relation and having glue on their opposed sides for gluing to opposite sides of the mouth end of a bag. These strips are longer than the maximum width of the bag, hence end portions 21 will project beyond the bag to function in the same manner a the end portions 7 of Fig. 1.

The structure as shown in Figs. 1 and 4 in which the header is formed with a slit is preferable since there is no problem of having the halves 4, 5 in register with each other when glued to the bag. Also the header is in a single unit and is readily glued to each bag.

.The headers as described have another function, in that they provide means for stapling the mouth of a bag closed, or where the bag is of thermosealing plastic material, the header forms a protective backing for the bag mouth to facilitate heat sealing the mouth closed.

Another advantage in using a cardboard binder is that a suitable printing surface is provided on the header for advertising or for printing of any desired nature. In transparent bags such printing is not unusually legible on the bags themselves, and at best, is not as easily done as where cardboard provides a printing surface.

While the headers as herein described are adapted for use in connection with supporting bars, it is also manifest that they can be supported from the fingers of an operator. It is important that said headers have suflicient rigidity to support the filled bags from the ends of the headers. Cloth or paper headers are of no utility for this purpose, and have little, if any, value, except as a reinforcement.

I claim:

1. In combination with a bag of thin, flexible, sheet material open at one end thereof to provide a filling and discharge mouth, a filling and discharge mouth, aheader for said bag comprising cardboard strips stationarily glued to opposite sides of said bag at said mouth and separable from each other along said mouth for opening said mouth upon bowing said strips oppositely outwardly along said mouth, the opposite end portions of said strips projecting substantial distances oppositely outwardly from said bag, and means at said end portions in engagement therewith for suspending said bag from said end portions and for holding said strips bowed apart along said mouth to enable filling said bag while the latter is so suspended.

2. In combination with a vertically disposed bag of thin, highly flexible sheet material open at its upper end to provide a filling and discharge mouth, a header for said bag comprising horizontally extending flexible cardboard strips of greater rigidity than the material of said bag firmly secured to the oppositely outwardly facing sides of said bag along said mouth and separable from each other along said mouth for opening the latterv for filling said bag, said strips including opposite end portions projecting substantial distances horizontally oppositely outwardly from said bag, and horizontal, spaced,

parallel bars in side by side relation disposed below said end portions and normal to the longitudinal axes of said strips for slidably supporting said end portions thereon for movement of the latter along said bars with said bag suspended from said strips between said bars.

3. In combination with a vertically disposed, flat bag of relatively thin, flexible, sheet material open at its upper end to provide a filling and a discharge mouth, a header for said bag comprising horizontally extending flexible, resilient, cardboard strips of greater rigidity than the material of said bag firmly secured to the opposite sides of said bag along said mouth and separable from each other along said mouth for opening the latter for filling said bag upon bowing said strips apart, said strips including opposite end portions projecting horizontally oppositely outwardly from said bag, separate means at said end portions in engagement therewith respectively for holding said strips against movement longitudinally thereof and for supporting said end portions thereon with said bag suspended between said means whereby said bag will be suspended in a predetermined position between said separate means, said end portions having a pair of free edges facing oppositely outwardly from said mouth, said pair of free edges being in yieldable engagement with said means when said strips are bowed apart and when said end portions are supported on said means whereby said means will hold said strips so bowed with said mouth open when said bag is so suspended between said means.

4. In combination with a bag of thin, flexible sheet material open at one end thereof to provide a filling and discharge mouth, a header for said bag comprising horizontal cardboard strips glued to opposite sides of said bag at said mouth separable from each other along said mouth for opening said mouth upon bowing said strips oppositely outwardly along said mouth, the opposite end portions of said strips projecting substantial distances oppositely outwardly from said bag for suspending said bag from said end portions, said end portions being glued together, supporting means below said end portions sup porting the latter thereon for suspension of said bag from said strips, said end portions including generally vertically disposed oppositely outwardly facing edges, said supporting means being in engagement with said last mentioned edges and being spaced apart a distance less than the distance between said last mentioned edges when said strips are straight for holding said strips bowed apart along said' mouth to hold said mouth open for filling said bag.

5. In a flat, vertical, bag of rectangular outline and of flexible material, having vertically extending side edges and open between said side edges for the full width of said bag along its upper end to provide an upwardly opening, horizontally extending filling and discharge mouth at said upper end, a single, horizontally elongated piece of cardboard having opposite longitudinally extending edges and opposite end edges, said piece of cardboard being of greater rigidity than the material of said bag formed with a slit extending longitudinally thereof along a straight line positioned intermediate its said longitudinally extending edges, said slit being substantially equal in length to the length of said mouth when said bag is flat with its opposite sides together and the ends of said slit terminating at points spaced from said end edges, said strip being folded along said line with the portions at opposite sides of said slit being glued to the opposite sides of said bag along said mouth, and with the integrally united portions of said piece beyond the ends of said slit being glued together and projecting oppositely outwardly of said mouth at its ends to provide supports for suspending said bag from last mentioned portion, said portions along said slit being adapted to automatically bow apart to open said mouth from end to end thereof upon the integrally united projecting ends of said cardboard being forceably moved toward each other, and said portions to the ends of said slit having suflicient inherent resiliency to automatically return to generally straight condition for substantially closing said mouth upon said integrally united ends being released for free movement away from each other.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Canada Oct. 20, 

